Environmental Chemistry

Environmental Chemistry

Coaches & Volunteers-
Team-

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Resources-

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Hudson Invite-
Test
Lab
Answer Key
SO Events-Environmental Chemistry
on the "SO Events- Environmental Chemistry" link, this is a page about land and soil. It has different activities about soil and land.
Activities
Other Links:
http://www.plantea.com/pH.htm very helpful. All about pH
http://www.plantea.com/ a very interesting site... define interesting? Well, it is all about gardening...

Current Topic to Research-

States 2009:

we dadn't know about "soil horizons". The test had a lot about what soil (high or low in NPK pH) is good for what plants, and if the soil

was deficient in something, how should you correct it.

What we need to know according to the test(s) at the invitational and regionals

1. Reading Fertilizer Bags
2. Which plants grow best in which soil type? (pH and NPK)

Very acid (pH 5.0 to 5.8)	Moderately acid (pH of 5.5 to 6.8)	Slightly acid (pH 6.0 to 6.8)	Very alkaline (pH 7.0 to 8.0)
azalea blueberry celeriac chickory crabapple cranberry eggplant endive heathers huckleberry hydrangea Irish potato lily lupine oak raspberry rhododendron rhubarb shallot sorrel spinach beet spruce wild strawberry sweet potato watermelon white birch	bean begonia Brussels sprouts calla camellia carrot collard greens corn fuchsia garlic lima bean parsley pea peppers pumpkin radish rutabaga soybean squash sunflower tomato turnip viola	asparagus beet bok choy broccoli gooseberry grape kale kohlrabi lettuce mustard muskmelon oats okra onion pansy peach peanut pear peony rhubarb rice spinach Swiss chard	acacia bottlebrush cabbage cauliflower celery Chinese cabbage cucumber date palms dusty miller eucalyptus geranium oleander olive periwinkle pinks pomegranate salt cedar tamarisk thyme

pH scale

Things to add to the notes:

The percentage of water, air, mineral content, and humas in ideal soil:

25% water::25% air::45% mineral content:: 5% humas

How much of earth's surface is used for agriculture?:
10%

Results of overfertilization:
Nitrogen-- stimulates algea growth, eutrophication, and massive fish kills.
Phospherous-- high levels in ground water are dangerous to huan health.
Potassium-- no known ill effects

Toxic chemicals:

SALT might come from roadsides
MERCURY might come from coal fired power plants
LEAD might from old (led painted) buildings
CHROMIUM might come from "night soil" (composted sewage)

Fertilizers (u-p-k) --

To read fertilizer bags you find the three digit code: (for example) 1-11-0 [bone meal]the first number in the percentage of the fertilizer that is Nitrogen (U), the second is Phospherous (P) and the third number is Potash (K)

Notes From Mrs. Brown--

We will need to know the Soil Nutrients. They are broken into 3 classes:
Nessisary: Nirogen, Phospherous, and Potash (pottasium corbonate)
Vital: Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulfer
Trace: Maganise, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Boron and the others we are not sure of, but are on the NOTES at PRAPTI'S HOUSE
Plants like 6- 6.5 pH soil
Add Limestone to acidic soil
Add sulfer to Acidic soil
Ferlilizers have numbers on the back of the bag that indicate the weight of each ingreadient in the Fertilizer
If the plant is leafy then it needs Nitrogen
If the plant is a fruit then it needs Potash (pottasium-- bananas)
N= Nitrogen, P= Pottasium, and K= Potash

Notes to bring to competition--
Decrease pH add limestone~ 4lbs./100sq.ft. (+0.5pH)
Increase pH add sulfer 1/2 lb. sulfer/100sq. ft. (-0.5pH)
Nessisary:

• Nitrogen (N2)
  • leaves (lettuce)
• Phospherous (PF5)
  • roots (tomatoes)
• Potash AKA Pottasium (K20)
  • fruits (tomatoes)

Vital:

• Calcuim
• Magnesium
• Sulfur

Trace:

• Manganese
• Chlorene
• Iron
• Copper
• Zinc
• Molybdenum
• Boron

• Iron/ Nitrogen deficience-- if the plant looks green
• Phospherous-- roots, fruit stem, and seed development
• Potash-- Desease resistance, fruits and vegtable development, and genral plant function
• Nitrogen-- Protien, chlorafil development, and healthy green foliage
  
  Soil types:
• Sandy Soil-- a light course soil comprised of crumbling and alluvial debris
• Loam Soil-- A medium friable soil, consisting of a blend of course (sand) alluvium and fine (clay) particles mixed with a little limestone and humas
• Clay soil-- A heavy, clinging, impermeable soil, comprised of very fine particles with little lime and humus and tendiny to be waterlogges in winter, and very dry in summer.